Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 15

कालतत्त्वनिर्णयः / Doctrine of Kāla (Time) and Its Subordination to Śiva

Devanagari script

श्रिया रूपेण शीलेन बलेन च कुलेन च । अन्यच्चिंतयते जंतुः कालो ऽन्यत्कुरुते बलात्

Transliteration

śriyā rūpeṇa śīlena balena ca kulena ca | anyacciṃtayate jaṃtuḥ kālo 'nyatkurute balāt

Translation

Makhluk merancang sesuatu dengan bersandar pada kekayaan, kecantikan, keluhuran budi, kekuatan dan keturunan mulia; namun Kala (Waktu), dengan daya yang tak tertahan, menjadikan yang lain berlaku.

Word by Word

• śriyā: by prosperity/fortune
• śriyā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana (एकवचन)

• rūpeṇa: by beauty/form
• rūpeṇa: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Tṛtīyā (3rd/तृतीया), Ekavacana

• śīlena: by character/conduct
• śīlena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana

• balena: by strength
• balena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात/Conjunction)

• kulena: by lineage/family
• kulena: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā (3rd), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात/Conjunction)

• anyat: something else
• anyat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (समुच्चय-निपात/Conjunction)

• cintayate: thinks/reflects
• cintayate: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana

• jaṃtuḥ: the creature/being
• jaṃtuḥ: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṃtu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (1st/प्रथमा), Ekavacana

• kālaḥ: Time
• kālaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana

• anyat: something else
• anyat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Napuṃsakalिङ्ग, Dvitīyā (2nd), Ekavacana

• kurute: does/makes
• kurute: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana

• balāt: by force/compulsion
• balāt: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Pañcamī vibhakti (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; Hetu/Reason sense (हेतु-अर्थ)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pashu

Shiva Form: Mahākāla

Jyotirlinga Context

Jyotirlinga: Mahākāleśvara

Sthala Purana: The verse highlights human agency (planning based on śrī, rūpa, śīla, bala, kula) being overruled by Kāla; in Mahākāla-kṣetra theology, this becomes a lesson that worldly ‘supports’ are unstable under time’s concealment (tirodhāna), driving the soul toward the timeless Lord.

Significance: Cultivates viveka: recognizing the mismatch between intention and outcome as Kāla’s governance, one turns from egoic planning to devotional alignment with Īśvara.

Mantra Metadata

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Kala (Time)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches vairāgya and surrender: worldly supports (wealth, beauty, status, strength) make the bound soul (paśu) overconfident, but Kāla overrides all plans, urging reliance on Pati (Shiva) and pursuit of liberation rather than pride in transient attributes.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Linga-worship centers the mind on the timeless Lord who transcends and governs Kāla. By turning from unstable worldly identities to Saguna Shiva as refuge, the devotee learns steadiness, humility, and devotion that matures toward knowledge of Shiva beyond time.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Practice daily japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and, if initiated, Rudrākṣa—contemplating impermanence and offering one’s plans and pride into Shiva’s will (śaraṇāgati).